Thiophene containing trisubstituted methanes [TRSMs] as identified lead against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Abstract Triarylmethanes (TRAMs) and thiophene containing trisubstituted methanes (TRSMs) have been reported by us, having potential against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium fortuitum strains, respectively. Further, extension through synthesis and biological evaluation of novel TRSMs resulted into an identified lead 36 (S006-830) [(diisopropyl-(2-{4-[(4-methoxy-phenyl)- thiophen-2-yl-methyl]-phenoxy}-ethyl)-amine)] with MIC: 1.33 mg/L, non-toxic against Vero C-1008 cell line with selectivity index >10, ex vivo efficacy equivalent to first line TB drugs-isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFM) and pyrazinamide (PZA) in the mouse and human macrophages, and lung CFU count of 2.2 × 10 7 (approximately 15 fold lesser than untreated mice, 31 × 10 7 ) with efficacies comparable to ethambutol (EMB) (1.27 × 10 7 ) and PZA (1.9 × 10 7 ). Further, S006-830 also showed potent bactericidal activity against multi-drug resistant and single-drug resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis .